How Do I meet “Mr/Ms Right” when I live in a small town with few prospects? My well-intentioned friends and family have given me plenty of advice over the years about how to meet a potential life mate, and while I understand their concern and appreciate their efforts, I disagree with their approach. I've been told to join clubs I don't normally participate in, visit bars that I would never typically step into, or hop onto a Single's Cruise when all I've been doing for most of my life as a single parent is traveling alone or with three kids in tow. My advice? Live your life! Do your normal routine and participate in your usual activities. Go to Yoga, shop at your favorite co-op and pick up your usual latte. Sure, you can increase your chances of meeting more and different people by changing grocery stores or adding a new class to your work-out schedule. But if you have no interest in going to bars, attending a gym, or speed-dating, why, oh why, would you begin now in the hopes of meeting Mr/Ms Right-for-you when the he/she you hope to meet is more than likely interested in those very activities you have no intention of continuing? Having tried e-harmony and Match.com (and feeling exhausted after filling out endless questionnaires), I prefer the old-fashioned way of meeting someone to date, someone who probably shares some compatibility with you since you're in the same place at the same time: in line at the grocery store, a chance meeting at a movie you're taking your kids to, while fumbling with your shoes and belt and jacket at airport security, or hanging out at the mall. Love your life by living it, the way you always have, and watch Mr/Ms show up alongside you, probably more eager to participate than any guy/gal you would have met at the heavyweight boxing event you were dragged to.

HELLLLP! I need to de-clutter my home, but the task feels too overwhelming. Where do I begin, and how? Ah, my favorite subject: organization. I am a fanatic about weeding out paper piles, clothes, and unused gadgets/toys/chotchkies, and I do it often. This, I have found, seems to be the key to maintaining one's sanity. I abhor paper piles that only seem to proliferate when I'm not looking, so I weed them out daily, tossing junk mail into the recycling bin before it's thrown onto my desk, and filing bills/important paperwork in a cabinet that's centrally-located in my home. I keep up on daily laundry, stack dishes into the dishwasher immediately after use (okay, my son says I suck at this, but I try...), and everything is kept in its own place so I don't have to spend valuable time hunting for keys, scissors, or a screwdriver. The downside of this, unfortunately, is that should any of these said items not be put away into the proper “home,” I have no clue where to begin looking for them. Striving to live more simply on less, I've adopted the strategy of keeping only items that I absolutely love, and getting rid of, trashing, selling, or donating the rest. Begin with one room, or if that is too overwhelming, start with a space, such as your desk, closet, or kitchen cabinets. Tackle a little bit each day so the huge mess that is bound to grow beside you as you dwindle your possessions doesn't overwhelm you and stall your progress (keep several bags available at all times, and throw directly into them, depending on the items' final destination: toss, sell, donate). As I've shed my house of unnecessary items that I no longer use, I find that I'm cleaning the house less, spending less money on things I don't need, and enjoying more free time, a great by-product of getting rid of things that no longer serve me or my family.